Printing mechanism



C. D. LAKE ET AL PRINTING MECHANISM Filed D80. 22, 1934 Jan. 5, 1937.

3 Sheets-Sheet l Z V NTOR. BY Zf ATTORNEY Jan. 5, 1937.

C. D. LAKE ET AL PRINTING MECHANISM Filed D90. 22, 3.934

3 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG.3

PIC-2.2

n B a a B a no a g g a Jan. 5, 1937. Q LAKE r AL 2,066,784

PRINTING MECHANISM Filed Dec. 22, 1934 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 I7 FIG. 6 I (6 77 59 g; in 79 5 /8 24' iii 28 A TTORNEY atentecl Jan. 5, 1937 NlTED s'rA'rEs PRINTING MECHANISM lDlair D. lLalke, Binghamton, and Wesley lPfaff, Union Center, N. Y., assignors to International Business Machines Corporation, New York, N. Y., a corporation or New York Application December 22, 1934, Serial No. 758,746

. 8 Claims. (or. 101- 93) This invention relates to tabulating machines and more particularly to improvements in the printing mechanisms therefor.

Tabulating machines as presently developed are provided with printing mechanism whereby numerals represented by index point perforations may be indicated by printing upon a record strip and in addition thereto such printing mechanism is also employed to represent the result of some computation such as a total of a series of items.

nected between the type bars and an invariably reciprocating cross-head. During the upward movement of the type bars, stopping pawls may be tripped into engagement therewith to interrupt their upward movement at different times whereupon the driving springs are extended as the invariably reciprocating cross-head continues its upward movement, thus imposing an additional load upon the mechanism which drives the cross-head. This added spring tension, in addition to the weight of the type bars, is a deciding factor in limiting the speed of operation of the machine in general. It is, therefore, one of the objects of the invention to re-organize the type bar operating mechanism so that the moving mass may be considerably reduced and the addi tion of the usual spring tension eliminated so that a higher operating speed may be obtained.

In carrying out the invention, a plurality of columns of type elements are integrally associated with a reciprocating frame which moves all the columns of type elements past printingposition concurrently. A printing hammer is provided for each column of type elements and as the elements move past printing position, the tripping of a hammer will cause the latter to strike one of the elements to take an impression therefrom without interrupting the movement of the type carrier. In this manner an impression is taken in flight and printing is eifected at the moment of selection, which moment will vary in accordance with the value of the character selected for printing.

Heretofore in tabulating machines, all the type bars have been positioned and printing effected by the common hammer which strikes all selected type at one time. This action has required a sufficiently sturdy mechanism to print from a large number of type bars. With the present arrangement, the individual hammers separately tripped may be considerably lighter in construction and the heavy blow at a definite point of time in the cycle of the machine has been obviated.

Various other objects and advantages of the invention will be obvious from the following particular description of one form of mechanism embodying the invention or from an inspection of the accompanying drawings; and the invention also constitutes certain new and novel features of construction and combinationof parts hereinafter set forth and claimed.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a central section of the improved form of printing mechanism.

Fig. 2 is a section taken along lines 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a section looking in the same direction as Fig. 2, taken on lines 3-3 of Fig. i.

Fig. 4 is a detail section on lines ll of Fig. 1, showing the zero printing control connections, and

- Fig. 5 is a detail of parts shown in Fig. 1 in position.

' shown at an enlarged scale.

Fig. 7 is a detail showing the manner of supporting the type heads.

Referring now to Figs. 1 and 3, a plurality of type element holders it] are separately mounted in a cross-head which includes side members it and a slotted cross member it provided with slots is within which are secured members it. Member l i has its vertical edges bevelled and has also riveted thereto a cross-piece 55 (see Fig. 7) thus forming a pair of parallel vertical slots of triangular cross section into which the lower end of the type holder it is adapted to slide. Extending across the tops of holders it is a U- shaped bar it secured to the side members i I as by thumb screws l'l. Removal of thumb screws ill will permit bar it to be removed from across the tops of the holders it] which latter may then be separately lifted out of position within the frame for replacement or interchange. With this arrangement, all positions across the frame may .be provided with holders Ill or a lesser number may be placed in position according to requirements. Each holder is provided with ten springpressed type plungers I8, there being one for each of the digits and zero.

The member I2 is provided with a bearing I8 at each end which is secured to a vertical rod 28 whose upper extremity is guided in bearing 2|. As the rod 28 is reciprocated vertically in the manner to be explained, the type plungers I8 will successively pass printing position opposite platen 22 in the order 9, 8, 7, etc. in synchronism with the correspondingly numbered index point positions of the record cards as the latter move in transit past the analyzing brushes LB in the card feeding and analyzing section of the machine. The lower end of rod 28 is guided in a fixed bearing 23 directly above which there is secured to the shaft a member 24 which supports a pair of cam follower rollers 25 and 26 which cooperate with a pair of complementary cams 21 secured upon a shaft 28. Shaft 28 also carries a gear 29 which, through idlers 38 is driven from a gear 3| mounted upon the so-called listing shaft 32 of the tabulating machine. This shaft makes one revolution for each cycle of the machine during which, through the mechanism traced, the frame I I, I2 and type holders II] will be moved upwardly and then down again.

Slidably supported on rods 28 is a secondary frame 33 which is provided with a roller 34 in cooperation with a cam 35 also carried on shaft 28. A spring 36 secured at one end to the frame and at the lower end to bearing 23 tends to urge the frame downwardly and serves to hold roller 34 in engagement with a plurality of rises 31 numbered 9 to 1, which, as they successively cooperate with roller 34, cause a succession of reciprocations of the frame 33 which are timed so that each upward stroke occurs as the correspondingly numbered type element is passing through printing position.

The rise 31 in the zero position of the cam is higher than that in the other positions (see Fig. 6) and will cause a somewhat higher movement of the frame as the zero type element passes through printing position. This additional upward movement is utilized to control the printing of zeros to the right of significant figures in a manner to be set forth hereinafter.

Carried by and pivoted upon frame 33 are latches 38 whose left ends are urged by springs 39 into latching engagement with a hook 48 which forms an extension of a member 4| which latter is pivoted upon fixed rod 42. Member 4| has connection with a spring 43 by means of a link and roller device 44 which cooperates with an arm 45 extending from member 4| which is provided with recesses 46 in which the link and roller device may engage. A U-shaped cross member 48 straddles the lower extremities of the link and roller connections 44 and is supported through its side arms upon a cross rod 48. Rod 49 has secured thereto an arm 58 (Fig. 2) provided with a handle 5| through which the cross member 48 may be rocked in a clockwise direction from the position in Fig. 1 and the roller 44 may be'moved to one or another of the recesses 46. The free end of arm 58 is provided with a detenting pin 52 to retain the arm 58 and consequently cross frame 48 in any selected position. The purpose of shifting the point of connection is to increase or lessen the tension of springs 43 upon members 4| as de- I s ring serves to hold the left edge of the hammer against a lateral extension 55 of member 4|. If latch 38 is rocked clockwise, the hook 48 of member 4| will be released and spring 43 will thereupon urge member 4| in a clockwise direction, carrying with it the associated hammer 53 whose head 56 will thus be impelled against one of the type plungers I8 to urge the latter against printing ribbon 51 and platen 22. Head 56 is pivoted to the upper extremity of hammer 53 and held against a shoulder thereof by a light spring 58 to form a resilient connection between the head 56 and hammer 53. In the normal operation of cross member 33 the pivot rod 59 of latches 38 moves up and down with the cross member without disengaging the connection between latch 38 and hook 48 since as the pivot rod 59 moves upwardly, spring 38 will cause rocking of latch 38 in a counterclockwise direction to maintain its engagement with hook 48. Lying in the plane of latch 38 is a stopping pawl 68 normally held in the position shown by a latch 6| connected by a call wire 62 to the armature 63 of the magnet 64. One terminal of the magnet has connection with an analyzing brush LB and the other, through usual circuit breaking devices, has connection with one side of a source of current. As record cards are fed past the analyzing brushes a circuit through the magnet 64 will be completed at differential times depending upon the location of the perforation in the record card analyzed and at the time of such analysis the correspondingly numbered type element will be approaching the printing position and latch 38 will be moving upwardly so that the sequence of operations will be substantially as follows:

Assuming a perforation in, let us say, the 6 index point position of a column of the record card, upon the sensing of this position by the brush LB, a circuit will be completed to magnet 64 which will attract its armature 63, rocking latch 6| out of engagement with the stopping pawl 68. The latter will thereupon rock clockwise and its toe will engage the right hand end of latch 38 establishing a fulcrum at the point of engagement so that as the cross member 33 rises, the left hand end of the latch 38 will do likewise and disengage itself from hook 48. Member 4| is thus released and under action of its spring 43 will impel hammer 53 and head 56 rapidly in a clockwise direction against the 6 type element I8 which will at this time be in printing position opposite platen 22 and the impression will be taken from the type element without interrupting its upward movement. The flexible mounting of head 56 on arm 53 is simply for the purposes of safety so that if for any reason arm 53 is retarded against return movement the striking end will not damage the type elements I8 by remaining in their path but will tilt upward as the crosshead I9 rises. It has been found in practice that a clear print may be had with the head 56 integral with the arm 53. During the return or downward stroke of the type holder frame II, I2 a cam 65 carried by shaft 28 will engage and rock the bell crank 66 connected throughthe link 61 to an arm 68 whose free end has pin and slot connection with a bail 68, and will cause counterclockwise rocking of the latter to restore the type hammers 53 and members 5| to latched position. At the same time, a member I8 (Fig. 1) pivoted on rod II will be rocked in a counterclockwise direction by a cam I2 to rock ball 13 clockwise for the purpose of relatching stopping pawls 68 on latches I As is customary in practice, zeros are perforated in fields of the record cards to fill out columnar positions to the left of the highest significant figure. However, it is not desired to print these extra zeros which are nevertheless sensed by the analyzing brushes and caused to complete circuits to printing magnets 64.

The energization of a magnet 54 in response to a zero perforation will not trip its latch 38 because at the time of tripping of stop 60 latch 38 will be raised beyond the engaging position and the toe of stop 6|] will simply strike the end of the latch 38. Cam 35 is configured so that crosshead 33 does not descend after rising under the controlof the 1 rise 31 but continues to rise to the level controlled by rise 3Ia (Fig. 6) thus not permitting latches 38 to re-descend into position to be tripped by stops Gil.

Zero printing is therefore controlled through the higher order printing positions in the following manner: Each latch 38 is provided with a lateral extension I4 (see Fig. 5) which lies within the jaw of the bifurcated end of a member I5 which is pivoted at IE to a fixed cross member. During the reciprocation of the cross frame 33 and the tripping of latches 38 there will be no engagement between extension M and member I5 (see Fig. 6). At the zeroposition, however, the greater rise 31a. of cam 35 will cause a greater advance of pivot rod 59 and consequently a highi er movement of the extensions I4 of latches 38 in those positions in which stop pawls 60 have previously been tripped in response to the analysis of a significant figure. The parts at such time will be in the position illustrated in Fig. 5 where pawl 60 is shown as having been tripped at some point previously and cross member 33 is at the upper extremity of its stroke causing addi tional rocking of latch 38 which in turn will engage and cause counterclockwise rocking of member I5 against the tension of its spring 11.

Each member I5 is provided with a lateral extension I8 (see Fig. 4) which extends over the upper edge of the next adjacent higher order member I5 so that rocking of any member I5 as in Fig. 5 will cause the next lower order member to be rocked likewise through the extension I8 of the latter member and it in turn will engage the lower edge of extension I4 of its latch 38 to disconnect the same from its member 4| whereupon thelatter will cause the corresponding hammer to be impelled against the zero type plunger I8.

The members I5 are horizontally slidable and each is provided with a pivoted finger piece I9 through which the members I5 may be separately moved toward the left as viewed in Figs. 1 and 5. This will bring the extension IB of the member I5 which has been moved toward 'the left over a lower portion of the upper edge of the next higher member I5 so that if such next higher member is rocked as explained, the motion will not be transmitted to themember which has been moved toward the left and the zero printing action will not take place. This is the socalled zero-splitting feature of tabulating printing mechanism.

While there has been shown and described and pointed out the fundamental novel features of the invention as applied to a single modification, it will be understood that various omissions and substitutions and changes in the form and details of the device illustrated and in its operation may be made by those skilled in the art without is the intention therefore to be limited only as indicated by the scope of the following claims.

What is claimed is as follows;

1. In a printing mechanism,-an invariably reciprocating type carrier, a printing hammer, impelling means for said hammer, means normally restraining said impelling means including a constantly rotating cam against operationgand means for releasing said restraining means during the reciprocation of said carrier to cause said impelling means to impel said hammer against said carrier.

2. In a printing mechanism, an invariably reciprocating type carrier, a printing hammer, impelling means for said hammer, an invariably reciprocating member provided with means for normally restraining said impelling means against operation, and means releasing said restraining means during the reciprocation of said carrier and said member to cause said impelling means to impel said hammer against said carrier.

3. In a printing mechanism, an invariably reciprocating type carrier, a printing hammer, a spring for urging said hammer against said carrier during its movement in one direction, a member and means for causing said member to reciprocate a number of times during a single reciprocation of said carrier, and means for selectively causing said member to cause said spring to actuate the hammer during one of the reciprocations of said member.

4. In a printing mechanism, an invariably reciprocating type carrier, a reciprocating member and means for causing said member to reciprocate more than once during a single reciprocation of said carrier, a printing hammer and means for causing said member to cause said hammer to be impelled against the carrier during any one of the reciprocations of said member.

5. In a printing mechanism, an invariably reciprocating type carrier, a spring-pressed printing hammer associated therewith, a reciprocat-- ing member and a latch carried thereby for holding said hammer against the action of its spring and means for causing said latch to release said hammer during the movement of said reciprocating member to cause said hammer to strike' said carrier. i

6. In a listing machine, a plurality of typ members, means for continuously moving said members through a predeterminedprinting position, a spring-pressed printing hammer, a latch for said hammer, means for reciprocating said latch while in engagement with said hammer and means for causing rocking of said latch during its reciprocation to release said hammer for selectively printing from one of said type members while they are passing through printing position. 1

7.. In a printing machine adapted to be controlled by record cards, sensing elements, type members, means for causing said members to move continuously toward a fixed printing position, a printing hammer, impelling means therefor, a latch for holding said hammer, a power device including a constantly rotating cam and means controlled by said sensing elements for causing said cam to operate said latch whereby said impelling means will move said hammer against said type members for selectively printing from said members while the latter are passing through said printing position.

8. In a printing machine, a. constantly reciprocating actuator, and means carried by said ciprocating type carrier, a plurality of type actuator for causing sald lmpelllng means to members carried thereby, a platen, a printing operate said hammer. hammer adapted to strike any of said members CLAIR D. LAKE.

5 while the latter are passing said platen, im- WESLEY PFAFF. 5

pelllng means for said hammer, a constantly re- 

